Surprises
by mypiratecat1
Summary: Post AWE. Very fluffy, sweet one shot! WE, of course. Jack's surprise is ruined. He can be a softie! Bugger.


"...Jack!!! What on on earth are you DOING in here???" Will's voice was completely surprised.

Jack was so startled that he almost jumped out of his boots, loudly dropping the hammer from his hand. He turned around quickly to find Will and Elizabeth Turner standing in the doorway of their cabin, staring at him in shock.

"...Ummmm... I saw a mouse scamper under the door of the cabin an' I thought I better come in an' take care o' it...ummm, wif a hammer...we... can't have it sleeping wif th' two o' ye, now, can we?" he lied with a desperately cheerful tone. The captain reached a hand clumsily behind him, and hurriedly pulled a blanket down off of the couple's bunk and covered an object of great curiosity. He smiled at them, disarmingly, then said, "Now I thought tha' th' two o' ye had gone ashore t' provision th' ship... how's things in port, eh?" He started to take them both by the arms to steer them out onto the deck, but Elizabeth stopped him.

She was truly lovely in her pregnant state. She was glowing. After all that they had been through together, and after all of the sadness and hardship at World's End, it was a happy time aboard the Pearl when it was announced that Mr. and Mrs. Turner would be parents. Jack had been beside himself with happiness at being an "uncle", but it had worried him that the Turners would leave the Pearl once the babe was born... Jack told them that a pirate ship was truthfully no place to raise a baby, but the couple had assured him that they had no intention of leaving the crew... that if danger should arise, they would have a plan in place to ensure the safety of the baby and it's mother. Things were at an impasse, as far as that was concerned, and Jack acquiesced and would let them stay, although mostly out of guilty pleasure that they were not leaving.

"...Jack, what are you hiding under the blanket...?"

"...nononono... not good... you can't see this yet..." the captain was trying _hard _to pull the pair out of the cabin, but it was to no avail. Will and Elizabeth broke free from his grasp and together, pulled the blanket from the object that Jack had been working on, thinking that they were off of the ship for several hours. They stared in silence.

It was a cradle. A beautiful cradle for a baby. The design enabled the frame to be attached securely to the floorboards of the cabin, and the tiny bed was suspended in the frame, swinging to and fro gently with the rocking of the Pearl... a cradle designed to be aboard a ship at sea. It was highly polished, and made of dark walnut, just as the Pearl was... and on the headboard was a exquisite carving of a baby lamb nestled in a nest of flowers; so intricate as to its rendering that one would swear that the wool was curly and soft to the touch.

The couple was speechless, and the captain stood in defeat, his surprise ruined. His face bore a dark frown, and his hands were shoved into his sash in disappointment. "...Ye weren't supposed t' come back yet..." he muttered, grumpily kicking the hammer that he had dropped.

Will looked at Jack, and smiled, "Did you make this, Jack? I know that you can carve, but I didn't know that you could do carpentry..."

"... I can't," Jack admitted, "I drew it out on paper, then Gibbs helped me build it - we hid it in th' brig..." he brightened a bit, "I did carve the th' little lamb on th' headboard, though..."

Elizabeth had not spoken a word. She was running her hands over the polished wood, over the small blanket that had been cut from another and hand hemmed around the edges... she ran her fingers over the border of the wee pillow... decorated with a tiny edge of lace.

Wordlessly, she turned and walked over to the captain of the mighty Black Pearl, and wrapped her arms around him in an affectionate embrace. She kissed his dark cheek. "Thank you, Jack. It is a lovely surprise..." she said, softly, "... there is more than one sweet lamb on this ship." Will smiled as Captain Jack Sparrow blushed furiously, rolling his eyes at Elizabeth in frustration.

Elizabeth grinned, "... but I won't call you a sweet lamb in front of the crew, I promise..."

Jack growled and glared at her. And blushed, bandana red, again.


End file.
